Black Bean Salsa

I call this "summer salsa" because it uses all the yummy foods you can grow in a garden or buy fresh at the grocery store in the summertime. I am forever grateful to my friend Lyndsie for entertaining us one night with this salsa among other delicious foods, and for sharing the recipe with me! Since then I have made this salsa many times with quesadillas, tacos, fajitas, and just for a fun snack. I am in love with this salsa, and so are my kids. They don't even realize all the veggies they are eating! A few notes: you can also add green, yellow or red peppers or chopped up avocado, but I think it's tasty as is. F.Y.I- "Good Seasons" is made by Kraft Foods and I gave them a phone call just to double check their product. They say there is absolutely no dairy in their Italian Dressing Packet.

Black Bean Salsa
Recipe from Lyndsie Field

5 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 ears of corn, cooked and cut off the cob
4 green onions
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
squeeze of lime

Dressing:
1 pkg "Good Seasons" Italian Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Mix everything together in a big bowl and then pour dressing over the top. Stir well because the dressing will settle at the bottom.

Macadamia Crusted Chicken with Mango Salsa

It took my friend Mel borrowing my cookbook and then posting this recipe to find out what I was missing all along in my cupboard! By any means, this is a great recipe! I am a big fan of chicken fingers because kids love them, but with this perfect mango salsa, it pleases adults too. I can honestly say that I have never had a more tender chicken-it melts in your mouth! I've also been wanting to try this salsa on fish, but haven't yet. My sister recently made me macadamia crusted halibut, so maybe I'll have to try it along with the salsa and post it sometime.

Macadamia Crusted Chicken with Mango Salsa

Recipe from The Complete Cookbook, adapted by Mel at mykitchencafe

1 pound chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts cut into thin slices

1 cup flour, seasoned generously with salt and pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 oz. macadamia nuts, finely chopped

2 cups breadcrumbs

oil, for deep-frying

Salt for seasoning

Mango Salsa

1 medium mango, finely diced

3 tablespoons finely diced red onion

2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro

1 fresh jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

Juice from 1 lime

Cut the chicken into strips. Dust the chicken strips with the flour, then dip them in the egg and finally, coat them generously in the combined nuts and breadcrumbs. Chill for at least 30 minutes to firm up.To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside. Fill a large, heavy-based saucepan or electric fry pan one-third full of oil and heat to 350 degrees, or until a cube of bread dropped in the oil browns in 15 seconds. Cook the chicken strips in batches for 4-5 minutes, or until golden brown all over, taking care not to burn the nuts. Drain on crumpled paper towels and season with salt. Serve the chicken strips warm with the salsa.